Process of Creation
by Hollow28
Summary: Maqui is used to overworking when he starts on a new project. Yuj intercepts to make sure he takes care of himself. Yuj/Maqui


His hands moved quickly, but still couldn't ever catch up with the ideas that were blooming into his mind, like paint poured into water. In the end, you were only left with fragments of the whole idea. A lingering tint of colour in the stream. It frustrated him to no end. He wouldn't sleep for days as he holed himself up in the workshop, long sleeves pushed up to his elbows and his headphones left beside him on the table. The muffled transmission would drift through; Lebreau announcing another meal was ready, or Gadot briefly mentioning he was going somewhere. He never let it distract him from his work-not unless they were under attack. Even still, he wasn't sure how helpful he'd be, as sleep deprived as he was at that point.

He pushed his goggles back up into his hair, setting the tool down onto the wooden table beside a series of sketches and blueprints that he referenced frequently, constantly, hoping that his creation would look as he intended in the original design. Maqui rubbed his eyes blearily, observing the progress he'd made on his invention through half-lidded eyes. He inched forward in his chair and picked up the blowtorch again, its grip feeling natural in his hand. It was a different feeling from holding a gun. He idolized Snow for being the hero he dreamed to resemble. Sometimes, he had to doubt how helpful he was out on the battlefield with a gun in his hands. It didn't feel as natural as he overheard Gadot say with confidence.

The blonde slipped the goggles back over his eyes and resumed welding on the plates of the machine. He felt a hazy comfort in being able to lose himself in his thoughts as he worked. The flame danced over the bronzed metal, its heat so consuming he could feel it on his nose and his cheeks. Gadot and Lebreau never quite grasped what he meant when he said it was frustrating his hands could never keep up with him while he worked. In a battle, it was different. It was about force, and placement, not the finishing product. Demolition rather than creation. But Yuj was different. The impossibly patient boy knew what it meant to have an idea in your mind you couldn't produce. Maqui had tried his hand at sewing before. Yuj laughed at Maqui's reaction to it, especially after he had declared it harder than making a mechanical device.

He set the torch down, and picked the pencil back up. His red rolling chair slid over so he was centred over his drawings. Maqui could feel his tiredness taking over. Milky sunlight poured in through the vents placed at the top of the walls in his workshop, the wind carrying in a fresh scent of the sea along with it. Maqui stifled a yawn and drew a few additional details onto the little droid. He put his head down on his arms after a few moments of sifting through the short stack of drawings. His eyes closed, and at last his breathing became slow and even.

The strong scent of food pulled him from the sleep he didn't realize he had fallen into. A plate and a cup were set down at a safe distance from his working table. He blinked slowly, and heard a light chuckle from behind him. He shot up and turned around, but relaxed when his eyes found the bluenette, standing partially in the shadows. Yuj had a slight smile, his dark eyes bright. Maqui felt his face flush; he didn't think for a second he looked the least bit presentable. Disheveled was a much better adjective. He ran his hands through his hair and wiped a streak of grease from his cheek.

"I'm glad you actually slept," Yuj said.

Maqui shook his head. "I'm not," he laughed, and stretched his arms up over his head. He moved the chair over to where his food was set down and eagerly started to eat. Yuj stepped over to the table and observed the blueprints for Maqui's next idea. His eyes drifted over the sketches, as if he were trying to memorize each pencil stroke.

"What do you think?" Maqui asked, finishing off the last bites of food on his plate and chasing them down with the remains of the water. The light flooding in from the vents was lazier now, a slight gold colour. It turned Yuj's hair a faded aquamarine.

"It looks amazing," he muttered.

"Well, that's a relief," Maqui sighed, wiping his hands off on the edge of his oversized jacket.

Yuj cast a glance at him suspiciously. He dismissed the self-deprecating comment and held out his hand, which Maqui firmly took and pulled himself up from the chair. He collapsed into Yuj's side, still exhausted even after sleeping for a few hours. The taller boy helped him up the stairs and out into the main part of the house. Yuj felt Maqui sigh against him, guilt on his features for not being able to work on his invention for as long as he wanted. It wasn't even half way done, and when he tried to voice this, Yuj seemed to hold onto him even tighter.

They finally made it to Maqui's bedroom, and the blonde fell back onto the mattress with a relieved exhale. Yuj rolled his eyes as he tugged off Maqui's shoes and left them on the floor beside the bed. Maqui helped Yuj take off his jacket, but it ended up on the carpet as well. He didn't even bother to get under the blankets. He simply stretched out and settled in, content.

"I wanted to finish," Maqui stated quietly. His icy blue eyes still flickered with excitement, as if he hadn't disposed the idea to complete what he had started in his state of delirium.

"Yeah, I know," Yuj nodded. He leaned over the bed, running a hand over Maqui's grimed cheek. He kissed him softly and murmured, "You can work on it more later."

Maqui caught his lips again, pressing into him a bit more forcefully. He could feel Yuj smiling into the kiss before they seperated. He closed his eyes and felt the pressure on the bed shift as Yuj settled on top of him. They kissed again, thorough and slow, until Yuj rolled off and lay at his side. Sleep dragged over them, heavy and comfortable, and it's another long ten hours before either of them stir.


End file.
